Mare Island

We assembled at the behest of The Admiral, a corpulent fellow who overdressed and wore a black leather cap with ear-muffs made of beaver tail.

Questions were asked, but only certain answers were tolerated and those answers were entered into a yellow notebook by The Admiral's assistant.

Recruits for the secret mission--building the world's first ______--would be determined by the quality of the answers provided. One point would be given for honesty, two for creativity, and three for total silence.

The nature of the mission would never be explained, other than it was vital to national security.

Those who succeeded always passed the test, and those who failed had to live the rest of their lives in what was left behind.

And what was left behind is ugly and leaks when it rains, but built strong, able to withstand the attack of any and all enemies. It should have lasted the rest of their lives, which is as long as any of them hoped to live.